Each day a different image or photograph is featured, with an
accompanying caption, which deals with various topics in Earth Science.

Ancient Volcanoes of Hungary

The extinct volcano remnants shown above were last active several million years ago, when the area of present day Hungary was covered by a shallow sea, known as the Pannon Sea. These mounts were volcanic islands of that sea. Now, they're just hills (300-400 meters in elevation) on the north shore of Lake Balaton, the biggest lake of mid-Europe. Balaton is relatively young (approximately (20,000 years old) and is not associated with the former sea. The hills are famous for their wine, each one having its own brand -- the Somlói ('Shom-law-ee') being the highest rated. In the valleys between these hills, sedimentary rocks of the ancient Pannon Sea harbor a superb tasting mineral water. This flavorful water was the favorite drink (apart from wine) of the Byzantine empress, Theodora.